Back-filling machine



June 5, 1962 M. G. JONES ET AL 3,037,309

BACK-FILLING MACHINE Filed Nov. 25, 1959 5 sheets-sheet i Miuron G. Jones D BY Douma U.Lscorv June 5, 1962 Filed Nov. 23, 1959 M. G. JONES ET AL BACK-FILLING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 7m, @www @d INVENTORS ML'roN G. Janes n-v DoNnLu U. ELscorr June 5, 1962 M. G. JONES ET AL BACK-FILLING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 23, 1959 INVENTORS MLroN G. Jonas N glu/@M+ Trakls/a 'DoNLD U. ELscoTT June 5, 1962 M. G. JONES ET AL 3,037,309

BACK-FILLING MACHINE Filed Nov. 25, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS 74 Minen G. Jones w I f BY DoNnLn U.E|.scoT1' E57 TWWMMW HTTORMEYS June 5, 1962 M. G. JONES ET AL BACK-FILLING MACHINE Filed Nov. 23, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent 3,037,309 BACK-FILLING MACHlNE Milton G. Jones, Cornwall Heights, Pa., and Donald U.

Elscott, Newton, Iowa, assignors to The Cleveland rencher Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Nov. 23, 1959, Ser. No. 854,784 3 Claims. (Cl. 257-144) This invention relates to improvements in machines for lilling trenches and the like and generally known in the art as back-lilling machines, and more particularly relates to an improved arrangement for controlling the operation of the bucket or scraper board for such a machine.

In United States Patent No. 1,947,356 issued February 13, 1934, to Augustus l. Penote, there is disclosed a backlilling machine of the general type with which the present invention in concerned. In such machine, the bucket or scraper board is suspended from a boom on a mobile vehicle by means of a lift line which can lift the bucket with respect to the boom, and a drag line is provided which is adapted to move the bucket toward or transverse of the vehicle, to propel soil for filling a trench or the like. The aforementioned lines are actuated and controlled by individual powered winch mechanism, including brake and clutch components, which are in turn actuated and controlled by an operator preferably located on the machine proper. The clutch components of the winch mechanisms are controlled by a pair of hand operated levers, one for each hand of the operator, while the brake components of the respective Winches are controlled by hand operated levers, generally disposed adjacent the operators work station.

In normal operation, the brakes of the winch mechanisms are manually released and the winch clutch mechanisms are alternately engaged by proper actuation of the clutch levers by the machine operator, causing the backtill bucket to be pulled away from the machine by the lift line and then returned toward the machine by the drag or pull-in line. Thus, both hands of the operator are normally occupied for actuating the clutch control'levers. During the'pull-in operation, the lift line clutch must generally be slipped to keep the lift line tight enough to hold up the back of the bucket or scraper board, to obtain eiective movement of the material or soil by the bucket. This slipping of the clutch causes extreme heating of the component parts of the `clutching device of the lift-line winch mechanism, leading to undue wear and premature failure of such parts of the system.

The instant invention provides a control arrangement Y for winch .mechanism which permits the machine operator to apply the holding brake of the lift line winch mechanism while both of his hands are positioned on the control levers of the clutches for both the lift line and drag line winch mechanisms, thus controlling the lift line winch drum in substantially non-rotatable relation during the pull-in operation on the scraper bucket and eliminating the necessity of slipping of the clutch and its resultant heat problem, while providing for optimum control of the scraper bucket.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide an improved back-lilling machine as compared to those heretofore known.

Another object of the invention is to Provide an irnproved back-filling `machine wherein the lift and drag lines for the scraper bucket are actuated and controlled by individual powered winch mechanisms including individual brake and clutch mechanisms therefor, such clutch and brake mechanisms being controlled by hand operated levers, and including means for enabling the operator to apply the brake to the winch drum of the lift 2 line while keeping both hands on the clutch actuating levers of the winch mechanisms.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the latter type wherein the brake `for the winch mechanism of the lift line may be automatically applied upon deactivation of the clutch of the winch mechanism for such lift line.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent `from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a more or less diagrammatic, perspective view of a back-filling machine embodying the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear end, diagrammatic, elevational view of the back-tilling machine illustrated in F-IG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, top plan detail View showing the operators work station and the clutch and brake levers for actuating the respective clutch and brake mechanisms of the individual Winches for the lift and drag lines of the bucket;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational sectional view of the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 3 taken substantially along line 4 4 of FIG. 3;

lFIG. 5 is an enlarged, partially sectioned view of the winch mechanisms used to actuate respectively the lift and drag lines of the scraper bucket for the back-illing machine;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, `fragmentary detail view of the control rod utilized in one embodiment of the invention for actuating the bra-ke mechanism of the lift line winch, while permitting the operator to keep both of his hands on the clutch operating levers for the winch mechanisms;

FIG. 7 is an end elevational view of the control rod illustrated in FIG. 6 taken from the right hand end of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic reduced size showing of a modified form of the invention, and is a view taken generally similar to that of FlG. 4.

Referring now again to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. l and 2 thereof, there is shown a back-filling machine comprising a base frame 10 supported on suitable tractor treads 12. A motor 14 is mounted on the fforward end of fram-e 10 for driving the threads 12 in any suitable conventional manner and thus propelling the vehicle. The boom 16 is pivoted to the frame 110 as at 18 (FIG. 2) for swinging movement in a generally Vertical plane and transverse to the chassis of the vehicle. A line 2li' is attached as at 22 to the free end of the boom and passes at its other end over pulley 24 from whence it is connected to any suitable preferably power actuated -means for positioning the boom 16 in its vertical plane of movement.

Winch mechanism assembly 26 (FIGS. l and 4) is mounted adjacent one side of the frame 10, and a lift or top line 23 is operably coupled to one 29 of such winch mechanisms, and a drag or bottom line 30 is operably coupled to the other 31 of the winch mechanisms, for actuating the bucket 32. Scraper bucket 32 may be of any suitable construction and is utilized in the conventional well known manner for propelling soil or other material transverse of the machine chassis.

The bucket 32 in the embodiment illustrated comprises an outer side wall 33 which is disposed generally vertically, and front and rear end portions 33a and 33b. A11 inner side portion 33e extends between and connects the inner ends of portions 33a and 33b. A chain 35 may be Vanchored at opposite ends thereof to the end portions 33a and 3312 of the bucket generally adjacent wall ,portion 33, and is connected as at 35a to the lift line 28. A chain 37 may also be connected to the inner ends of wall portions 33a and 33h land is connected as at 37a to the drag-line 30.

Reference may be had to the aforementioned United States Patent No. 1,947,356 for a more detailed showing of a back-filling machine of the general type with which the instant invention is concerned.

Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown in more or less detail the winch mechanism assembly 26 which is adapted for actuating the lift and drag lines for the bucket 32. As aforementioned an individual winch mechanism is provided for each of the lift and drag lines, such individual mechanisms being generally similar in nature and accordingly only one of such winch mechanisms will be described in detail, it being understood that the other is similar in structure and operation and with the referred to parts thereof being identified with corresponding numbers as those of the rst but with the addition of the suffix prime thereto. The winch assembly may comprise a rotatable power shaft 36 which is rotatably supported on both ends thereof, as by bearings 38, secured to support 40. A sprocket 42 may be secured to shaft 38,

said sprocket being adapted to be coupled to conventional power means, as for instance the motor 14 of the vehicle, and as by way of a conventional transmission unit, to rotate the shaft 38 at selected speeds and in a manner well known in the art.

Rotatably mounted on shaft 38 by means of bearings 44, which are preferably of the thrust type, is a cable winding drum 46 for winding lift cable 28 thereon and thus actuating the bucket 32.

Secured to the winding drum 46 is a work drum 48, and clutch mechanism 50 is suitably secured to shaft 36 for rotation therewith. Such mechanism 50 may in clude fluid power cylinders 50a suitably mounted on support structure 50b together with clutch shoes 52 actuated by cylinders 50a, for fiictionally engaging or clutching the interior of drum 48 and thus causing rotation of the latter and attached cable winding drum 46 upon rotation of the drive shaft 36. A brake flange or drum 54 may be also secured to the winding drum 46 and is adapted for frictional coaction with external clasp type brake elements or shoes 56, for opposing rotation of the winding drum 46.

Clutch cylinders 50a may be fed pressurized fluid from a master cylinder 57 (FIGS. 3 and 4) in the conventional manner as by means of conduits mounted on or extending axially through the power shaft 36 and in any suitable manner well known in the an.

The master cylinder is actuated by means of a hand clutch lever 60 pivotally supported as at 66a on support platform 61 in the vicinity of the operators work area and is connected to the master cylinder by suitable linkage 62. Upon moving the clutch lever 60 rearwardly toward the operators seat 64, the master cylinder 57 will be actuated to supply pressurized fluid to clutch cylinder 50a thereby applying the clutch shoes 52 to drum 48, thereby clutching the drum 48 and attached winding drum 46 to the shaft 36 to cause rotation of the winding drum with the power shaft. Upon moving the clutch lever 60 away from the operators seat, the master cylinder is deactivated to thereby release the clutch shoes 52 from clutching engagement with the work drum 48, to permit rotation of the shaft 36 with respect to and independently of the winding drum 46.

The exterior clasp type `brake element 56 may be actuated by means of hand brake lever 68 pivotally mounted as at 68a with respect to platform 61, and connected to the braking elements 56 by any suitable linkage, and in a manner well known in the art. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated brake lever 68 is disposed on the right hand side of the operators seat 64 as viewed in FIG. 3 of the drawings.

Pivotally mounted next to clutch lever 60 is clutch lever 60 which operates the clutching means 50 of the other winch mechanism 31 of the winch assembly in a manner similar to that aforedescribed, and a brake lever 68' is mounted on the opposite or left hand side as viewed in FIG. 3, of the operators seat for actuating braking elements 56 of the other winch mechanism. Thus it will be seen that both hands of the operator sitting on seat 64 are occupied for controlling the clutch mechansm of the respective winch mechanisms, the clutch lever 60 actuating the winch mechanism for the lift line, and the other clutch lever 60 actuating the winch mechanism for the drag line.

Brake pedals 70 and 70' (FIG. 3) are provided for the feet of the operator, to control actuation of conventional braking means for the respective tracks of the vehicle, and thus control the movement of and steer the vehicle in a manner well known in the art. In normal practice during back-lling operations, the left hand (as viewed in FIG. 3) brake pedal 70 is the one most used and such pedal is adapted to control the braking means for the tractor treads on the far side of the machine, or in other words on the right hand side of the machine as viewed in FIG. 2, since in actual practice the machine tends to pull towards the excavation on the other or left hand side of the machine during back-filling operations, as is well known to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the right hand (as viewed in FIG. 3) brake pedal 70 will not be generally used during back-filling operations, thus leaving one foot of the operator generally free.

In accordance with the invention, means is provided for enabling the operator to actuate the braking mechanism for the lift line winch mechanism while keeping both hands on the clutch actuating levers 60 and 60 thereby eliminating the heretofore undesirable policy of slipping the lift line clutch mechanism to maintain the lift line relatively taut during the pulling-in or dragging-in of the scraper bucket.

Such means takes the form of a shaft 72 rotatably suspended beneath the operators seat 64 on supporting structure 72a (FIG. 6). Shaft 72 has an arm 74 secured thereto adjacent one end thereof and another arm 75 secured thereto adjacent the other end thereof. Referring to FIG. 7 it will be seen that arm 74 in the reposed or non-actuated position of the rod, projects generally radially therefrom and generally rearwardly with respect to a vertical plane passing through the axis 76 of rod 72. Arm 75 extends radially from rod 72 and generally downwardly with respect to a horizontal plane passing through the axis 76 of the rod.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, arm 74 is connected by means of a coupling element, such as chain 78, to the lift line clutch lever 60 and as at 78a. Lift line brake lever 68 has a lug 80 projecting laterally therefrom and above arm 75 on the control rod 72. Upon pivoting of clutch lever 60 away from the operator and from its generally vertical position illustrated in FIG. 4, chain 78 causes rotation of rod 72 and clockwise pivoting (as viewed in FIG. 7) of arms 74 and 75, thereby engaging arm 75 with lug 80 on the brake lever, and automatically pivoting the brake lever 68 upwardly to apply the braking element 56 to the lift line winch mechanism. Upon moving clutch lever 60 in the opposite direction, or in other Words toward the operators work station, the chain 78 is untensioned, and the rod 72 urged by its own center of gravity and the weight of brake lever 68 rotates in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 7, and permits downward pivotal movement of the brake lever 68, to thereby deactivate the braking element 56. It will be noted from FIG. 4 that brake lever 68 has a ratchet and dog mechanism 81 actuated by handle 82`on the brake lever for holding the lever in placed position, but such holding mechanism is maintained deactivated by means of band 74a encircling the `brake lever and its operating handle portion 82 in clasping relation. It will be seen therefore that the cable winding drum 46 for the lift line winch mechanism may be readily driven, stopped and released through the medium of the `attached friction controlled work drums, and while `both hands of the ma- 75 chine operator are on the clutch actuating levers for the Referring now to FIG. 8, there is diagrammatically illustrated a modification of the invention. As aforementioned, during back-filling operations, vehicle ybrake pedal 70 (FIG. 3) is the one 4most generally used since the back-filling operation tends to pull the vehicle toward the excavation, and therefore the operators foot (right hand foot as viewed in FIG. 3) for operating pedal 70 is generally free during such back-filling operations. Accordingly, in accordance with the modified form of the invention, an auxiliary pivotally mounted brake pedal 87 is provided in the vicinity of aforementioned pedal 70. A bell crank element 88 is pivotally mounted as at 88a beneath the brake lever 68 with one arm 90 of the crank element connected by any suitable linkage 92 to the pivotal pedal 87 and with the other arm 94 of the crank 8S disposed below lug 80 on the brake lever 68. Thus when the operator desires to apply the `braking element 56 to hold the winding drum 46 of the lift line winch mechanism, he merely uses the aforementioned free foot to depress pedal 87 thus pivoting arm 94 upwardly to pivot brake lever 68 upwardly and apply the braking force to the lift line winch mechanism and while maintaining both hands on the clutch operating levers 6i) and 60. Pedal 87 may Ibe spring loaded as at 96 for urging the brake pedal and bell crank 88 back to neutral position. Accordingly, it will be seen that the modified arrangement also provides means for operating the lbrake elements of the lift line winch mechanism while permitting the operator to keep both hands on the clutch levers 60 and 60 to optimumly control the movement of the bucket 32.

From the foregoing description and accompanying drawings it will be seen that the invention provides an improved iback-lling machine. including a novel control arrangement for permitting the machines operator to maintain =both hands on the clutch controls of the machines back-filling bucket lwhile providing for actuation of the brake control of one of the bucket lines, thereby maintaining optimum control of the bucket during backfilling.

The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of any of the features described or shown or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

We claim:

l. In a mobile lback-filling machine including plural foot actuated means on said machine adapted for actuation lby the machine operator for controlling the movement of the machine with respect to the ground, said machine having a pair of powered winch mechanisms for selectively actuating the respective lift and drag lines of the scraper bucket of the machine, and including individual clutch and braking devices for each of said winch mechanisms for controlling the actuation thereof, the combination therewith of a pair of hand operated clutch levers mounted on the machine, each of said clutch levers being operatively coupled to the respective clutch device of the respective winch mechanism, a pair of hand operated brake levers mounted on said machine, each of said brake levers being operatively coupled to the respective brake device of the respective winch mechanism, and other means coacting between the brake lever and the clutch lever of the lift line winch mechanism for automatically actuating the brake lever of said lift line winch mechanism upon movement of the clutch lever of said lift line winch mechanism in ya direction to deactivate the clutch device coupled thereto, whereby the machine operator will be enabled to actuate the last mentioned brake lever without removing his hands from the clutch levers of the lift line and the drag line winch mechanisms and during actuation of at least certain of said foot actuated means, said other means comprising a rod mounted for rotary movement on the machine, a rst armL projecting generally radially from said rod, means connecting said iirst arm to the lift line clutch lever whereby movement of the last mentioned lever in a predetermined direction to deactivate the clutch device coupled thereto causes predetermined rotary movement ofv said rod, a second arm projecting generally radially from said rod, and

abutment means on said lift line brake lever, said second arm being adapted for engagement with said abutment means to actuate said lift line brake lever upon said movement of said lift line clutch lever in said predetermined direction and resultant rotation of said rod.

2. In a mobile machine for back-filling trenches and the like comprising a frame supported on traction apparatus, and including plural foot actuated means on said machine adapted for actuation by a machine operator for controlling Ithe movement of the machine with respect to the ground, `and having a pair 'of powered winch mechanisms for selectively actuating the respective lift and drag lines of the scraper bucket of the machine, and including individual clutch and braking devices for each yof said winch mechanisms for controlling the actuation thereof, the combination therewith of a pair of hand operated clutch levers mounted on said machine, each of said levers being yoperatively coupled to the respective clutch device of the respective winch mechanism, a pair of hand operated -brake levers mounted `on said machine, each of said brake levers being operatively coupled to the respective braking device of the respective winch mechanism, and coupling -means coacting between the brake lever and the clutch lever of the lift line winch mechanism for automatically actuating the brake lever of said lift line winch mechanism upon movement of the clutch lever of said lift line winch -mechanism in a direction to deactivate the clutch device coupled thereto, said coupling means including a rotatable rod mounted on the machine, a iirst arm projecting generally radially from said rod, means linlel ing said first arm to said lift line winch mechanisms clutch lever, a second arm projecting generally radially from said rod and being engageable with said lift line winch rnechanisms brake lever to actuate the same upon rotation of said rod due to actuation `of said lift line winch mechanisms clutch lever in said direction, whereby the machine operator will be enabled to actuate the brake lever of the lift line lwinch mechanism without removing his hands from the clutch levers of the lift line and the drag line winch mechanisms and during actuation of at least certain of said foot actuated means.

3. A mobile machine for back-filling and the like comprising a frame, traction mechanism supporting said frame for movement along the ground, a pair of foot actuated pedals on the machine adapted for actuation by the machine operator for steering the machine, a boom pivotally mounted on said frame for movement in a generally vertical plane, said boom projecting laterally from said machine, a scraper bucket adapted to 4be disposed laterally of said machine when in operative position and adapted for movement transverse of the machine, a lift line secured at one end to said bucket and coacting with said boom to raise said bucket with respect to Said boom, a Iirst winch mechanism mounted on said machine, the other end of said lift line being wound on said iirst winch mechanism whereby actuation of the latter in a predetermined direction lifts said bucket, a second winch mechanism mounted on said machine, a drag line secured at one end to said bucket, the other end of said drag line being wound on said second winch mechanism for moving said bucket transverse of said machine upon actuation of said second winch mechanism in a predetermined direction, each of said winch mechanisms comprising separate brake and clutch devices for actuating and cont-rolling t-he respective winch mechanism, individual hand operated levers mounted on said machine and adapted for actuation by the machine operator for selectively controlling the respective brake device and the respective clutch device of each of said winch mechanisms, and coupling means coacting between the clutch lever and the brake lever of at least said rst winch mechanism for automatically actuating the last mentioned brake lever upon predetermined movement of the last mentioned clutch lever in one direction to deactivate the clutch device operatively coupled theret0, whereby the machine operator will be enabled to actuate the brake lever of the lift line Winch mechanism without removing his hands from the clutch levers of the lift line and the drag line winch mechanisms and during actuation of at least certain of said foot actuated pedals, said coupling means comprising a rod mounted for rotary movement on said frame, an arm extending generally radially outwardly from said rod, a flexible coupling between said arm and said lift line Winch mechanisms clutch lever whereby said rod is caused to rotate upon said predetermined movement of the last mentioned clutch lever, a second arm extending generally radially outwardly from said rod, said second arm being engageable with said lift line winch mechanisms brake lever to automatically actuate the latter upon predetermined rotation of said rod determined by said predetermined movement of said last mentioned clutch lever, the center of gravity of said rod and associated arms being so arranged in conjunction with the weight of the last mentioned brake lever that the latter is caused to automatically move to an inactive position upon movement of said last mentioned clutch lever in a direction opposite to said one direction.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 972,296 Turner Oct. 11, 1910 1,509,919 Amend Sept. 30, 1924 1,851,346 Brown Mar. 29, 1932 1,861,511 Russell June 7, 1932 2,074,319 Baker et al. Mar. 23, 1937 2,077,741 Cardwell Apr, 20, 1937 2,448,674 Lawler Sept. 7, 1948 2,572,029 Huston Oct. 23, 1951 2,590,172 Guier et al. Mar. 25, 1952 2,648,231 Windahl Aug. 11, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 16,791 Australia Mar. 16, 1934 of 1934 

